The Vancouver Canucks had a positive send-off into the Christmas break, with a 7-4 win over the San Jose Sharks. This win put them in sole possession of first place in the National Hockey League.
Andrei Kuzmenko was inserted back into the lineup and wasted no time proving to Canucks coach Rick Tocchet that he deserves a spot on the top line. The Russian winger found the back of the net on his very first shift. Not long after, he scored his second on the powerplay in under seven minutes.
Your Vancouver Canucks are now tied for first in the league with the New York Rangers, with a chance tonight to regain the top seed with a win tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Canucks Preview
These two teams come into tonight with the same 7-1-2 record over their last ten games. The break came at a perfect time for the Flyers as they lost two straight before the time off.
Philadelphia has dominated Vancouver over the past two seasons. They've won three of their last four head-to-head matchups, including their 2-0 shutout victory earlier this season.
Both teams are playing in their preferred location tonight. The Canucks are outstanding on home ice this season, with a 13-3-1 record. The Flyers are impressive on the road, with a 10-4-3 record.
Vancouver are -165 money line favourites tonight, with the game total set at 6.0 goals. With both teams coming off lengthy absences, we could see some rust on both sides early. We've got a battle of the backup goalies tonight with Casey DeSmith and Sam Ersson. For these reasons, I see no true edge for a side or total for tonight's game.
Canucks Player Props
Casey DeSmith o27.5 Saves
Casey DeSmith has covered this saves line in six of his ten starts this season, averaging 28.3 saves per game. The longtime Penguin performs well against his former state rival, clearing this line in three of his last four games, averaging 29.5 saves.
The Flyers are fourth in the league in shots on goal, averaging 33 per game. These numbers stay consistent on the road, averaging 32.2 per game and jumps up to 33.5 over their last six games.
The Canucks allow 30.8 shots over their last eight games on home ice. When these two teams met earlier this season, Philadelphia registered 42 shots on goal, including a period where they outshot Vancouver 22-3.
J.T Miller & Brock Boeser Point Parlay
These two have found noticeable chemistry to start this season. J.T. Miller is third in NHL scoring with 48 points, while Brock Boeser is tied for second with Nikita Kucherov for goals with 24.
Miller has points in four straight and 88% of all home games this season, totalling 28 points. The Pennsylvania native registered two points in their most recent home game against the Flyers.
Boeser has points in eight of his last nine and 76% of all home games this season, totalling 23 points. The Minnesota native registered one point last season at home against the Flyers.
Owen Tippett Over 3.5 Shots On Goal
Owen Tippett gets promoted to the top-line left wing alongside Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny for tonight's game. With his current shots on goal line set at 2.5, you'll have to alternate this line to 3.5.
This promotion seems warranted, as Tippett has eclipsed this total in two of his last three games, averaging 4.7 shots on 8.3 shot attempts. Over his last seven road games, Tippett cleared in five of those games, averaging 4.0 shots on 7.3 shot attempts per game.
Against Vancouver, the Canadian has four shots in his last two games. Over the previous ten games, the Canucks allow the third most shots on goal to left-wingers, averaging 7.6 shots per game.
Best Bet Summary:
Casey DeSmith Over 27.5 Saves (-113) for 1 unit.
J.T. Miller & Brock Boeser Point Parlay (+130) for 1 unit.
Owen Tippett Over 3.5 Shots On Goal (+150) for 0.5 units.
Last Game Recap: 0-2 -2 units.
A failed 2-0 ultimately leads to the Canucks overtime loss.
Pettersson falls one shot short with four missed shot attempts.
All-Time Record: 24-24. -2.4 units.